The U.S. Air Transport Assn. estimates an aggregate net profit for U.S. passenger and cargo airlines of $2-3 billion in 2006, and initial financial reports for the year are promising (see p. 34; and AW&ST Jan. 15, p. 406). The ATA forecast for 2007 is $4 billion net. After five years in which these airlines netted $35 billion in losses--not counting restructuring costs or gains--the favorable projections feel good. But let's not get carried away.
LOCKHEED MARTIN PLANS TO CONSOLIDATE THE CURRENT 58 flight service station (FSS) facilities in the U.S. this year and is completing testing of three new hub facilities at Fort Worth; Ashburn, Va.; and Prescott, Ariz. In addition to those hubs, 17 FSS facilities will be converted to the new system known as Flight Service 21 as part of the $1.7-billion FAA automated flight service station (AFSS) contract awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2005.
An engine upgrade slated for FAA certification this month will give operators of Dassault Aviation's long-range, mid-size Falcon 50 trijet significantly improved high-and-hot takeoff performance, direct climbs to 39,000 ft. and about 6% more range than their factory-delivered aircraft.
WorldSpace says its Italian partner, Telecom Italia, has agreed to build an ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) network to provide hybrid ground- and space-based digital audio radio services to the Italian market. The cost of the ATC net was not disclosed. WorldSpace received approval to launch an L-band subscription-based radio service in Italy last May and hopes to launch it in 2008, using its existing AfriStar-1 spacecraft and a car receiver and generic local program content package under development.
Shares of Canada's WestJet Airlines Ltd. have been on a roller-coaster ride since they hit a 52-week low of (C) $9.18 (US$7.82) during the oil price peak last August. Reduced fuel prices, a huge passenger turnout during the recent holiday period and a positive outlook all helped boost the price 60% to a Jan. 18 close of $14.51 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Northrop Grumman's Guardian infrared anti-missile system has begun operational testing and evaluation on a FedEx MD-10 cargo aircraft. The flight took off from Los Angeles International Airport Jan. 16, to open the third phase of a U.S. Homeland Security Dept. study into the feasibility of equipping commercial aircraft with protection against small, surface-to-air missiles known as man-portable air defense systems (Manpads).
China's successful test of an anti-satellite (Asat) weapon means that the country has mastered key space sensor, tracking and other technologies important for advanced military space operations. China can now also use "space control" as a policy weapon to help project its growing power regionally and globally. Aviation Week & Space Technology first broke the news of the Chinese Asat test on aviationweek.com Jan. 17.
The European Space Agency is investigating problems that have arisen with the second Galileo testbed satellite to ensure they do not impact deployment of the satellite navigation system.
NASA is mounting a low-level in-house technology effort to gauge the utility of composite structures as the pressure vessels and other components of future human spacecraft, including the lander the agency hopes to use to return astronauts to the Moon by 2020. Administrator Michael Griffin joined composite-structures experts from across the space agency this month to lay out the project, which will start with a look at how the Orion crew exploration vehicle would have been built had it been designed with composites instead of aluminum.
Shortly after World War II, entrepreneur Duncan Cox launched a business to make heater tape to prevent freezing of irrigation pipes used in the potato fields of Long Island, N.Y. Cox hailed from a wealthy family, and lore has it that two of his acquaintances--aviation pioneers Howard Hughes and Leroy Grumman--urged him to adapt the tape to prevent icing on airplanes.
French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie says the European Gendarmes Corps is likely to see its first deployment, with the European Union peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, this year.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) chief Edmund (Kip) Hawley broke the news to Congress last week that his agency's much-delayed Secure Flight computerized passenger pre-screening system won't be coming on line until 2008. An unfulfilled recommendation of the 9/11 commission called for the federal government to take over the job of checking air passengers' names against government no-fly lists.
Boeing exceeded its predicted delivery of 395 aircraft for 2006 by three. Productivity boosts were especially notable in 737 and 777 rates as the company picked up the pace to keep up with demand. Orders for narrow-body aircraft have been setting records and leasing companies are having trouble meeting expectations from customers, many of whom can't gain access to new aircraft quick enough by buying direct. In response, the 737 factory in Renton, Wash., opened a second assembly line last year.
The U.S. Air Force is now forming the first cohesive resourcing plan for its new cyberspace mission area, after Secretary Michael Wynne announced last year he would create a new command to handle this emerging area.
The Chinese air force may be pursuing a strategic stand-off land-attack capability using an upgraded version of its H-6 bomber, and a long-range air-launched cruise missile, likely a version of its DH-10. At least one prototype of the upgraded Xian H-6, possibly known as the H-6K, has been built and reportedly test-flown. A poor quality image of the aircraft shows it carrying three large cruise missiles under the wing.
The heliospheric imager on one of NASA's twin Stereo spacecraft captured this image of the Comet McNaught, which is brightening the dawn and dusk skies in the Southern Hemisphere after putting on a show for northern skywatchers before it passed behind the Sun on Jan. 12. Taken on Jan. 11, the image clearly shows the near-Sun separation of the comet's ion tail and the brighter dust trail above it. The twin tails are formed by the action of the intense sunlight on the comet's dust, and of the solar wind on ionized gas from the comet.
Boeing has formally received a $1.15-billion contract for a Block II upgrade remanufacture of 96 AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters for the U.S. Army and 30 for the United Arab Emirates. First delivery to the U.S. Army is in October. Saudi Arabia has also expressed similar interests, though a deal hasn't yet been signed. Meanwhile, Boeing has given Japan until mid-2008 to sign on for 10 more Apache Block IIs. Thirteen are already under contract.
Air One's CityLiner is increasing its fleet of Bombardier CRJ900 jet aircraft. The regional arm of Italy's second-largest carrier converted four options it signed for in May 2006 to firm orders for the 90-seat aircraft. Deliveries are to start in April, bringing the CityLiner fleet to 10 CRJ900s by year-end. In conjunction with fleet growth, the carrier is adding new routes. Air One is also modernizing its fleet by replacing Boeing 737s with Airbus A320s.
Nearly 50 years ago, Britain's secretary of state for air, Duncan Sandys, announced in the House of Commons that missiles would replace pilots flying combat aircraft and that the supersonic Lightning would be the Royal Air Force's last manned fighter. For those of us pilot-officers then going through the RAF flight training program, these were serious words.
The U.S. doesn't foresee staging air or ground strikes on Syria or Iran, but defense officials say that within Iraq, they are planning to attack training organizations and supply lines supported by those countries.
Northwest Airlines would issue stock to unsecured creditors and choose among options to raise Chapter 11 exit financing under a reorganization plan submitted Jan. 12 to a U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The plan, which is missing many details pending a disclosure statement due in court on or before Feb. 15, provides for three major approaches to raise money: a rights offering in which creditors would be able to buy more stock; conversion of current debtor-in-possession financing into exit financing; and potential alternative financing with better terms.
